Each January 1st, we shed our old skins—not due to any inherent power in the number on the calendar, but because it provides us a mental reset button. A collective global sigh exhales past failures, and inhales the promise of the future. The New Year holds a mirror to society, reflecting not who we have been—but who we aspire to be.

Resolutions, they’re the fuel for this transformative engine. We stand—raw and vulnerable—staring at our innermost selves, promising to be more. More patient, more forgiving, more disciplined. To shed pounds or negativity or bad habits. Our resolution is a hopeful whisper into the universe, a statement of intent that—even in failure—holds the power of self-betterment.

It’s not the summit of the mountain that truly matters, but the resolve to set foot on the trail. The magic of resolutions lies not in their achievement, but in their pursuit. It is the self-examination that they trigger, the introspection that makes us pause, evaluate, question. Each resolution is a personal growth seed, planted in the fertile ground of our being.

And so, we resolve—even if we fail. For it is better to reach for the stars and land in the clouds, than never to lift our gaze from the ground. The true tragedy isn’t the unmet resolution, it’s the resolution never made.

So, let’s celebrate the New Year not as a change of dates, but as an opportunity for change within us. And let’s cherish our resolutions—for they are not just promises to improve, but affirmations of our limitless potential.

Stephen Boudreau serves as VP of Brand and Community at Virtuous Software. For over two decades, he has helped nonprofits leverage the digital space to grow their impact. To that end, Stephen co-founded RaiseDonors, a platform that provides nonprofits with technology and experiences that remove barriers to successful online fundraising. He is an avid (but aging) soccer player, audiobook enthusiast, and the heavily-disputed UNO champion of his household.

Copyright ©2023 Stephen Boudreau.